
mc\fflzgeraldi'iiMs^ers. 




SEE PAGE 7. 



\ 

TALK 



& C 



UNCLE GEORGE TO HIS NEPHEW 

ABOUT 

DRAW POKER. 

CONTAINING 

VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS 

GREAT AMERICAN GAME. 



INSTRUCTION AND DIRECTIONS TO CLUBS AND SOCIAL 

CARD PARTIES, WHOSE MEMBERS PLAY ONLY FOR 

RECREATION AND PASTIME, 

WITH 

TIMELY WARNINGS TO YOUNG PLAYERS. 



ILLUSTRATED. 



NEW YORK: 
DICK & FITZGERALD, PUBLISHERS 







COPYRIGHT, 1883, BY 

DICK & FITZGERALD. 



PREFACE. 



This pamphlet is issued for the purpose of induc- 
ing those who engage in this Great American Game 
of "Draw Poker," to play only for amusement and 
pastime ; and to expose those in our clubs and social 
card parties who are tricky, or disposed to cheat. 
Also to show to the American youth the dangers 
that beset their path when playing this fascinating 
game. 

While we have treatises on this subject, by Black- 
bridge, "American Hoyle," " Schenck," and others, — 
all of whom teach the game, with the rules and laws 
that govern it, — it has been left for " Uncle George," 
in a familiar, conversational manner, to " lay open " 
and expose this game as it is too often played — with 
its " lights and shadows," its bright parts, and " ways 
that are dark." 



72^ 



UNCLE GEORGE 

ON 

DRAW POKER. 



RATHER late, my boy, when I heard your 
footsteps upon the stairs last evening," 
said Uncle George to his nephew, while sitting 
at the breakfast-table on the morning of the 
2 2d of February last. 

" Yes, dear uncle, I acknowledge the corn. 
1 1 can not tell a lie,' you know, on this the an- 
niversary of the birth of our Great Uncle 
George, the Father of his Country, and espe- 
cially while his portrait on the wall is now 
looking down upon me. The fact is, I accepted 
an invitation to dine with a few friends at Del- 
monico's last evening, and after dinner a pro- 



8 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

position was made to have ' a little game of 
draw ' for an hour or two ; but the time passed 
so rapidly, that I confess it was among the ' wee 
sma' hours ' when we broke up. It was much 
later than I intended to have played, I assure 
you ; but there seemed to be no time when all 
were ready to quit." 

" I know ! I know ! my boy. It's the same 
' old story.' Those who are losers are playing 
for ' hunk,' as they call it, and those who are 
winners are too gentlemanly to quit and break 
up the party. It was the same with your Uncle 
George fifty years ago. I suppose you mean 
' Draw Poker,' my boy ?" 

"Yes." 

" Well, now ; you know your Uncle George 
is an old man, and, as the saying is, ' has travel- 
led'; and having been a man of the world, has 
seen much of the world's unwritten doiiigs. 
Though you consider yourself smart — and I ad- 
mit you are fully up to the average of those of 
your age, — yet you would be surprised at what 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 9 

I can tell you, of what is going on all about 
you of which you know nothing. But as you 
remind me that this is the 2 2d of February, and 
a holiday, and as you have no business down- 
town this morning, if you are willing to listen 
to your uncle, he will gladly spend an hour in 
talking to you about this game of ' Draw 
Poker,' this ' Great American Game,' so called 
on account of its origin and its devotees ; for at 
the present time it is indulged in by all classes 
in our country — old and young, male and fe- 
male, rich and poor, church-goers and profes- 
sional gamblers ; all classes, with ' antes ' vary- 
ing from a penny to a hundred dollars or more. 
Now, as a game for recreation and pastime, I do 
not object to it ; it is said to possess qualities 
as an intellectual game, superior even to whist. 
But when engaged in for the purpose of gam- 
bling, I class it with other games in which pro- 
fessional gamblers live and thrive, by cheating 
and robbing those with whom they play. It 
has been said there is no such thing as a 



IO UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

'Square Gambler'', and a well-known Wall 
Street banker has said : ' Whoever plays poker 
will cheat.' I can not agree with the latter, but, 
with my definition of a gambler, I fully agree 
with the former. I define a gambler to be ' one 
who cheats in games of skill and hazard.' I 
know this definition is not in accordance with 
that given by our lexicographers, but I know it 
will be accepted by all who play at games for 
amusement, and object to being called gamblers. 
" In my talk with you this morning, I shall 
take it for granted that you are acquainted with 
the manner of playing the game, as it is played 
at the present time ; for you must know, it's 
not the game of poker your Uncle George 
played, years ago, upon our Western waters. It 
was then called ' Bluff,' and we knew nothing 
of ' Straights,' ' Straight Flushes,' ' Blazes,' 
or ' Jack Pots.' The game was known simply 
as ' Bluff ' or ' Straight Poker.' The value of 
the hands in order was 'One Pair,' 'Two 
Pair,' 'Triplets,' 'Flushes,' 'Fulls,' and 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. II 

' Four of a kind.' Your hand was made on 
the first deal ; no discarding and drawing to fill 
afterwards. I suppose, my boy, you are famil- 
iar with the present game, with all its innova- 
tions. All this you have learned from your 
experience at the clubs and social card parties, 
and from works of instruction. But what I 
desire to impress upon your mind this morn- 
ing is : 

" First. — The fact that gamblers, according to 
your Uncle George's definition, are found in the 
clubs and private card parties, all over our city 
and country ; respected as gentlemen, with 
1 Honorable' and high-sounding titles attached 
to their names. -And yet these men are cheat- 
ing you every time you play with them. A case 
in point : I read in the Century a few days 
ago, where a game was being played between 
Col. Randolph Snaughter and Major-General 
Brown, a brief extract of which I will give 
you, in order to show you how even a Major- 
General could stoop to employ the crookedest 



12 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

kind of aid to gain his ends. As far as my 
memory serves me, it was in this wise : 

" ' The Major-General was a man of smooth and courtly 
phrase, 

Who had most charming manners, and winning little 
ways. 

The hands he held were wonderful, — beyond all sane 
belief, — 

As Colonel Randolph Snaughter found, to his exceed- 
ing grief : 

For, though he play'd a dashing game, and did not 
want for pluck, 

He stood no ' kinder sorter ' chance against such aw- 
ful luck. 

He lost the money in his purse, he lost his watch and 
chain ; 

And then the cause of Brown's good luck to Snaugh- 
ter was made plain, 

For while he held three aces, the General he held 
four, 

And could, had he deemed proper, have held as many 
more.' " 

"I want to impress strongly upon you the 
fact also, that the game of Draw Poker is an ex- 
pensive recreation. It's only a question of time, 
and means at your command, as to the amount 
of money you will lose. The longer you play, 
and the more means under your control, the 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 1 5 

more you will be out of pocket in the end. 
Like the ' Outside Public/ in Wall Street, it is 
only a question of time. At some other time, 
my boy, I will talk to you about Wall Street, 
but not now. With many, the loss of money 
at Draw Poker is the smallest item. There are 
those who become infatuated, and the result is 
not only loss of money, but loss of time, char- 
acter, business, position in society, and often 
ends in dissipation and crime. Let me warn 
you, therefore, my boy, of the danger of becom- 
ing too much attached to this game. When 
you find you have neglected to perform some 
duty, or to keep some business engagement, in 
order to play ; when you find yourself playing 
into late hours, as you confess you did last night, 
or when you find you are losing more than you 
can well afford, with your salary, quit it ! ! quit 
it ! ! ! I say, don't wait for all three of these 
warnings, but quit it on the first show of either ; 
for you are then on dangerous ground. The 
charm of the gaming snake is beginning to pro- 



1 6 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

duce its effect, and your only safety is in throw- 
ing off the influence of the charmer. Any 
delay or procrastination now is almost sure de- 
struction. There is no game of chance or skill 
that brings out one's real nature, one's ownself, 
as much as Draw Poker. Where players all 
stand well in a community, the game is expected 
to be fair and honorable ; hence a good oppor- 
tunity is offered for those who are disposed to 
cheat, to do so. I would rather play a few 
games of poker with one whose character and 
disposition I would like to learn, than to receive 
a basketful of recommendations. I admit there 
are games played in which all are gentlemen, 
and no one under any circumstance could be 
induced to take any advantage of another. But, 
my boy, such cases are rare. Want of opportu- 
nity, and fear of the eyes of others, are what 
keep many players honest. Now, with these 
introductory remarks, I will say, that it is to 
guard you against the acts of such players that 
I shall talk to you for a short time, feeling sure 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. \J 



that, if you remember well what I say, it will 
be to your eventual great gain. 

" I begin by repeating the advice of the father 
to his son. Said he, ' My son, if you play cards 
for gain, you will surely lose in the end ; but if 
you will see that the cards are cut immediately 
before dealing every time, your money will last 
you longer.' This was good advice, and just as 
good now as when first given. There are card 
players, or ' card sharps,' as they are called, 
who can shuffle cards so adroitly as to 'put up 
a hand' right before your eyes, and you not 
know it. Even a ' bungler ' can shuffle so as 
to give himself a ' pair,' or at least to have 
knowledge of what cards are left on the top or 
bottom of the pack, which knowledge he can 
make useful in many ways. For instance, after 
the deal, he finds in looking at his hand that he 
has a pair that match the card he knows is on 
the bottom of the pack. In helping himself, 
he takes this bottom card ; he ' does his work 
so fine ' you can not discover the cheat. And 



1 8 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

if he has a 'four straight,' a 'four flush' or 
' two pairs,' and the bottom card will fill his 
hand, he takes it, as I have said, making his 
'straight,' or 'flush,' or 'full.' Many other 
points under this head could be given you, my 
boy, why the cards should be cut the last thing 
before being dealt. Strictly, the blank card of 
the pack should always be the bottom card of 
the pack being dealt. 

" Second. — Whenever the cards are cut, be sure 
and have the two separated parts of the pack put 
together before dealing. An old gentleman 
once said to a young man, ironically, who was 
dealing from a part of the pack, ' Young man, 
you ought never to play cards until your hands 
have grown sufficiently large to hold the whole 
pack at one and the same time.' The reason is 
this : The party shuffling has a chance to know 
what cards are on the top of the pack, and by 
holding only the cut portion in his hand while 
dealing, knows into whose hand these cards. fall, 
or if they should fall to himself, he would know 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 1 9 

how to discard, so as to have his hand helped 
by drawing. You see this gives the dealer an 
advantage over the other players. 

" Third. — The pack, or any undealt portions 
of it, should at all times remain in sight of the 
players, and upon the table, and held by the 
dealer only while actually engaged in dealing or 
z/z helping hands. This is to prevent the dealer 
from obtaining knowledge while holding the 
cards on or below the surface of the table. 

"Fourth. — In gathering up the discarded 
cards for the purpose of shuffling, be sure that the 
faces of the cards are turned from the shuffler ; 
for otherwise the party shuffling gains an advan- 
tage, by knowing the position of some of the 
higher cards, and besides, it gives him an opportu- 
nity of ' putting up the cards ' while shuffling. 
In no instance, however, should the discarded 
cards be gathered up while some are still en- 
gaged in playing their hands. 

"Fifth. — In helping the players after discard- 
ing, always give the number called for, together, 



20 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

as they come from the pack, and not singly, one 
by one ; for this reason : There are persons who 
can with their finger-nails, or ring, or by a slight 
bend, so mark the cards, as to know them when- 
ever these marks are seen ; and in dealing they 
can only see the marks by dealing the cards off 
one at a time, and not together. And besides, 
if the dealer deals them oft. singly, and knows 
the bottom card, he can, as I have said, help 
himself to that card, which he could not so well 
do by dealing them off together. Again, some 
dealers are so expert, that they can deal con- 
tinually the second card from the top of the 
pack ; they can give you any number called for, 
one at a time, without disturbing the top card, 
which top card the dealer, of course, wants him- 
self, to help his hand. This could not be done, 
if the number called for were dealt off together, 
and not one at a time. This is called, [Dealing 
Seconds' 

" Sixth. — Discarded cards should be left upon 
the table, and never touched until all have been 




SEE PAGE 15. 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 23 

helped ; they should be discarded to the person 
whose duty is to gather them up for shuffling. 
By observing this direction, it will be found dif- 
ficult for a player to discard a different number 
from the number he draws, without detection. 
Any dealer who is 'Playing in ' with another, 
and helping his ' Pard ' to extra cards, and re- 
ceiving the same number in discard, can avoid 
detection by immediately gathering up the dis- 
carded ones, and putting them on the bottom of 
the pack from which he is dealing. I repeat, 
therefore, that discarded cards should be left on 
the table, mttil all are helped. 

" Seventh. — Always look with suspicion upon 
one who wears eye-glasses while playing, and 
who wears them at no other time ; or upon the 
player who habitually calls for more light — who 
wants the gas turned on, or the window-shades 
raised, when there is sufficient light already. 
Our playing cards are large print. A man nearly 
blind can distinguish the cards, and ordinary 
eyes can read them distinctly at twilight. In 



24 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

such cases the probabilities are, that the one 
desiring more light is dealing with marked 
cards ; the marks are so fine that strong light 
and magnifying-glasses are necessary to see the 
marks. I say, my boy, you must keep a sharp 
look-out for all such players. 

" Eighth. — Look out for that player who is 
continually fussing with the pack. I think it is 
called ' Monkeying with the cards.' The prob- 
abilities are that he is 'putting them up.' 

" Ninth. — Look out for that player who in- 
variably, when he picks up the pack to deal, 
looks at the bottom card, or shows it to the 
player at his left. Also for the one who is al- 
ways precise in cutting the cards at some par- 
ticular place in the pack. These are all indica- 
tions of the party's trying to take advantage, 
and must be looked upon with suspicion. The 
last is called ' Cutting_ig_a \ break! c C 

" Tenth. — Watch very closely an tincasy player, 
one who is almost constantly on the move ; 
using the cuspidor often, though neither chew- 



i 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 25 



ing nor smoking ; his hands and arms continu- 
ally on the move, while they ought to be quiet 
on, or above the table. The probabilities are 
that such a player is taking cards from the pack, 
and secreting them in some place on his person 
— inside of his neck collar, under his handker- 
chief, in his lap, up his coat-sleeve, or holding 
them in the bend of his knee, and using them 
whenever the hand dealt him can be benefited 
thereby. At other times, two or three cards of 
like denomination are held in the palm of the 
hand, to be used with the next hand given, in 
helping to make a very large hand. This is 
done by many so cleverly that it is impossible to 
see the cards so held. This is called ' Holding 
out cards'. 

" Eleventh. — You have undoubtedly noticed, 
my boy, hanging in the saloons of our River and 
Sound steamers, a card on which is printed 
these words : ' Beware of well-dressed persons 
who invite you to play euchre.' Now these 
well-dressed persons are known as travelling 



26 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

'Card Sharps.' They are always well dressed 
when travelling, for their dress is their card of 
introduction to their fellow-travellers. If you 
should accept an invitation of one from these, 
and sit down with two others to a game of 
'Euchre,' or 'All Fours,' it will always result 
in the cards being ' put up ' at some stage of 
the game, so as to have you receive a very large 
poker hand, and one of the others a larger one. 
Although professing to be entire strangers to 
each other, the fact is, they belong to a gang, 
who travel for the purpose of playing and rob- 
bing others, as a business. The whole plan now 
is to induce you to bet on your hand as a ' poker 
hand,' which, in your verdancy, you would be 
tempted to do, but surely to lose if you did. 
Parties have often been taken in, in this way, 
and been known to lose all the money they had 
with them, together with their watches, and 
other valuables about their persons. These fel- 
lows, and their game, are becoming so well 
known that they find it difficult to pick up a 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 27 

1 Greeny,' or ' Flat,' or ' Sucker,' as they call 
their victims. Your Uncle George was attacked 
by one of these gangs once, while on the cars, 
coming from Albany to this city. Knowing 
their game, he allowed them to go on, until he 
got the large poker hand, and their offering to 
bet on theirs being a better one. Thinking it 
had gone far enough, he looked at them all 
squarely for a moment, and then said : ' You 
think you have got the best poker hand, do 
you ? Well, now ; I give you just one minute 
to "git" all of you'; and they did 'git,' too. 
While leaving, one grumbled out to another, in 

an angry tone, ' You must be a d d fool to 

take that man for a " Flat." ' They all left the 
train at the next station. I would have inform- 
ed the conductor, but it is said that some con- 
ductors are afraid of these fellows, or, worse 
yet, are 'in with them,' so I said nothing. 

" Well ! well ! uncle, I should think you had 
travelled. And now, as I have been a good 
deal puzzled over -an incident that occurred only 



28 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

last week, the thought strikes me that you can 
explain it ; so, if you will allow me, I will relate it. 
"A friend of mine said to me one day: 
1 Charlie, I have an intimate acquaintance in 
Pine Street, who has a small back office, and 
does a commission business on foreign account. 
Though his commissions are heavy, yet he has 
much spare time, and is very fond of playing 
poker, although he knows nothing of the game.' 
Said he, ' This person thinks no more of losing 
a thousand dollars than a dollar ; and I have a 
plan by which I know we can beat him sure, with- 
out taking any risk.' I'll give you his plan, uncle, 
in his own words. Said he to me, ' I will stand 
behind, and so as to see my friend's hand, and will 
telegraph you with my fingers, whether he has 
one or two pair, triplets or better ; and with 
this knowledge of course you can beat him, 
sure. 1 His proposition and plan seemed some- 
what mixed to me, and besides, I didn't like it ; 
so I excused myself, saying I had but little time 
for playing the game, and when I did play it 




SEE PAGE 19. 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 3 1 



was only for recreation, with a made-up party of 
friends, or at the club. But I have thought of 
the proposition of my friend many times since, 
and have wondered what it meant." 

" Well ! my boy, I am delighted to know that 
you had moral courage enough to refuse. It 
was a gilt-edged temptation, and the thousands 
who have taken in the bait will die with the 
secret of their losses, and the way it was done, 
remaining in their own breasts untold. A friend, 
was he ? May God deliver you, my boy, from all 
such friends ! This is an old trick. This friend 
is your worst enemy. He is 'in with' this 
' Pine Street commission merchant,' as he calls 
him, and the plan is to rob you. This is the 
way they do it. Back of where you sit at the 
table, and so as to enable a confederate to look 
through from an adjoining room and see your 
hand of cards, is a small aperture in the wall or 
ceiling, and by this means your hand is seen and 
telegraphed, under the table, to your opponent, 
so perfectly, that this ' merchant on foreign ac- 



32 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

count' knows the exact value of your hand, 
from one pair, up, and down, to any card high. 

" Now, this advantage will invariably beat 
you ; for your friend, as you call him, telegraphs 
you as to one, or two pair, triplets, etc., held by 
your adversary ; while his confederate in the ad- 
joining room telegraphs him the exact size of your 
hand ; even, as I have said, to the highest card, 
when you held no pair. This robbery is carried 
on quite largely in this and other cities ; and 
large amounts lost, without the fact ever being 
told of; f@r the reason that the one who has 
been taken in, and lost, must, if he attempts to 
expose, acknowledge that he himself yielded to 
the temptation to do wrong. Your friend's 
friendship is like that of the spider to the fly. 
The Pine Street office is the parlor, and your 
money is the fly, which walks in, but goes out 
as yours, no more. I am very glad you have 
mentioned this incident, and I know you will 
not forget my explanation of it. 

" Twelfth. — I will now speak of the 'Jack 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 33 

Pot.' This is an innovation of a late date, and 
is very much against the interests of a poor 
player, or one who, for the time being, is in bad 
luck ; for it compels all alike to put into the 
pot the amount of the ' ante! Yet in a square 
game it has its advantages ; for if your bad luck 
should turn to good, two or three hands would 
bring back all of your losing, and make you 
'hunk.' While playing 'Jack Pots,' you must 
watch : First, those who are behind-time, and 
have to be reminded that they have not ' put up '/ 
and, Second, those who throw their chips into 
the pot indiscriminately , or who occasionally 
make the wrong change, or who are habitually 
changing the chips in the pot with their own — 
large ones for smaller, or vice versa — or who 
are accustomed to say : ' Well, I am in. I owe 
so much to the pot.' These are all wrong, and 
done in many cases, — not in all, I am glad to 
say, — for the purpose of saving or making 
wrongfully, and deserve to be called ' petty 
thefts.' The only right way, my boy, is for all 



34 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

who have an interest in the pot, to promptly 
' put up ' the full amount required in the centre 
of the table, in front of themselves, and separate 
from the pot ; and under no circumstances allow 
the chips in the pot to be handled The dealer 
should never commence to deal the cards until 
the bets made are all in for the full amount and 
no more, — having nothing due from, or to, the 
pot. This regularity will save misunderstandings, 
disputes, and oftentimes animosities between the 
players. 

" A quarter of a century or more ago, your 
Uncle George cut a slip from The Spirit of the 
Times, headed ' Hints to Poker Players,' an ex- 
tract from which I will read, as it bears so strongly 
upon what I have said to you : 

'".... Never " pip " up in the pool when 
you can avoid it — it is a useless drain upon one's 
money, and can always be avoided, thus : When 
all are in but yourself,place your fore-finger firmly 
upon a chip of the pool and exclaim, " Some- 
body ain't up ! " " Pip up ! " etc. This will of 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 35 

course compel any one who may be undecided 
whether he " pipped up " to do so again ; in 
case he swears to it, or has proof, that he has 
put up, then give in like a " lamb," and put up a 
chip — like a martyr. 

" ' If you can manage to conceal four aces of 
another pack in one of your boots or about 
your person, and dexterously draw your hands 
thence of course, do it ; if caught, make it ap- 
pear a joke. 

" ' If you have a bad hand quickly mingle it 
with the pack, swear you had six cards and 
draw your " ante," or rather some one's else, as 
you did not put up. In this way you win one. 

" ' If you have a good hand get mad, slam 
down your cards, swear luck is against you, but 
you'll " go in a V, if you lose it," just by way 
of a "flyer." Your opponent takes the bait, 
and, thinking you are bluffing, goes a V better. 
Now you've got him, go the V and an X better ; 
if he has a tolerable good hand he'll see you and 
' call." Say at first, " a small pair." If they 



2,6 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

are good take the pool without discovering what 
else you may have ; but if he has more than you 
first, show your triplets or two pair, as the case 
may be, and let all see it, that they may know 
that you did not cheat them, at least. 

" ' If you " go in one " and are called, say in a 
very desponding tone while shuffling your cards, 
with the pack," Only a pair of aces," as if you had 
not the remotest idea of their being good, — but 
it's a pretty safe hand, and if your opponent 
says they are good, take the pool ; if not, then 
examine his hand to see if he outholds you. 

" ' Having had a pretty good run of luck and 
finding it changing, draw your watch, swear 
that you have an engagement at, such a time, 
which of course is now past ; you are sorry, but 
will have revenge another time, change in your 
" chips," pocket the " ready money," and go on 
a " bender." ' 

"This bit of sarcasm well delineates the 
methods of some players at this day. 

" Thirteenth. — Whenever you find yourself 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 39 

between two parties who ' raise ' each other 
while you 'call along,' until this ' see-sawing ' 
process finally drives you out, and the other 
two come to ' a call,' be sure and have the de- 
feated hand exhibited on the table. The proba- 
bilities are they are ' playing in together,' and 
that there is but one good hand, if even that. 

"Fourteenth. — A good poker player never 
indulges in strong drink, and especially to ex- 
cess ; neither does he talk much, or pay attention 
to the conversation of others while playing. A 
deaf player has the advantage of others, for he 
watches and sees all that is going on, and is not 
distracted by talkative players, or those who 
talky^r a purpose, which many sharp players do. 
Your Uncle George decides that too much lo- 
quacity is indicative of ignorance of the game, 
inebriety, or sharpness. 

" Let me here speak of what I would call 
petty wrongs that annoy good players. Such 
as habitually discarding to the wrong place, 
throwing up hands out of time, looking over a 



40 UNCLE .GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

neighbor's hand, or asking such questions as : 
Well, what's the ante ? Who's in ? Any one 
straddled ? What does it take now ? How many 
cards did you draw ? etc., etc., etc. 

" These are annoyances that no gentleman 
should inflict upon his friends. 

" Fifteenth. — Whenever a new pack of cards 
is introduced for use, and the first deal shows an 
unusual number of good hands, or even at any 
time during the game, whenever an unusual 
ntimber of good hands are out at the same time, 
or two unusually large hands are out against 
each other, it is well not to bet all one has on 
his hand, though he holds four aces ; for the 
cards may have been ' put up,' and he to his 
sorrow, but too late, might find a straight flush 
against him. This is called ' Ringing in a Cold 
Deckl 

" I have in my pocket a slip taken from one 
of our daily papers giving a description of a 
game where a ' cold deck ' was ' rung in ' for the 
purpose of robbing one of the party ; but, as it 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 41 

resulted, without success, for the gentleman 
upon whom the attempt was made evidently was 
an experienced player. I'll read it to you : 

" ' Mr. Guggenheimer, Mr. Rosenbaum, Mr. 
Levi, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Einstein were en- 
gaged in a little after-dinner game of " draw," 
at the residence of the former gentleman. The 
host had occasion to leave the room for a short 
time, and when he returned the cards had been 
dealt for a new hand, and he was included, his 
approaching footsteps being heard. Mr. Gug- 
genheimer raised the five cards allotted to him, 
and could scarcely believe his eyes when four 
kings were revealed. He inspected them care- 
fully, but the entire quartette of monarchs were 
there. 

"'"Who doled these cards?" inquired Mr. 
Guggenheimer. " Jakey Einstein," replied Mr. 
Rosenbaum. 

'"Once more Mr. Guggenheimer gazed at the 
tempting array, and not one of the kings had 
got away. It was his turn to bet ; he took a 



42 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

last, long, lingering look — heaved a deep sigh, 
and gently murmured, "I pass."' 

"Sixteenth. — Finally, my boy, your Uncle 
George must say that you stand a very poor 
chance of holding your own, and no chance of 
winning, if, in your party, there should be two 
or three playing, who are 'in together'; for 
you play one hand against the best one of two 
or three others, as the case may be. There are 
many and ingenious ways in such cases of giv- 
ing each other information as to the value of 
each other's hands. From toe and knee knock- 
ing, position of the fingers in holding the cards, 
position of the cards when laid upon the table, 
the use of a letter, syllable, word, or sentence ; 
the question you ask, and manner of asking ; the 
position of your segar or toothpick in your 
mouth, etc., etc., etc. These parties have a sort 
of a telephono-graphosto kind of information, 
which, many times, it is impossible to detect. 

" I will now try to picture to you a successful, 
and yet strictly honest, and liberal poker player ; 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 43 

one with whom many would rather play and lose, 
than to play with others and win. You have 
undoubtedly often heard this remark in your 
club : ' Well, there is no use in playing with 
" Smithy," for he always wins. I know he is a 
square, nice man, a liberal player, and one of 
the best fellows, socially, in the club ; but we 
can't beat him, and yet we have to play with 
him.' Now, my boy ; I will explain why this 
is so ; and I may say, the language of the Old 
Roman will apply here very well : 

" The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars. 
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.' 

"The fault is not in ' Smithy,' as you call him, 
but in you yourselves, in not giving that atten- 
tion to the game that your friend ' Smithy ' 
does. A good, honest, and successful poker 
player is one who not only follows the rules of 
the game — with such variation as circumstances 
seem to require — but always has his eyes open, 
his head clear, and knows all that is going on in 
the party with whom he is playing. He sees 



44 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER 



and remembers their bets before they discard ; 
he never forgets the number of cards discarded, 
and he soon learns their general style of play- 
ing ; the probabilities of their bluffing, etc., etc. 
This gives him an advantage over all others 
who are not so observing, and causes him many 
times to ' throw up ' a very large hand, instead 
of ' calling.' He who says, ' I know I am 
beaten, but I will call on principle,' as a rule 
will be the loser. Therefore, by closely watch- 
ing the game, and remembering what takes 
place, you will acquire that knowledge necessary 
for success. Remember, my boy, in giving this 
picture of a good poker player, your uncle does 
not advise you to continue to play the game. He 
only wishes to give you such instruction, should 
you play, as will enable you not only to pro- 
tect yourself, but make you a stronger player — 
remembering the old adage, that ' Whatever is 
worth doing at all, is worth doing well.' 

" A very common error of an inexperienced 
player, is to ' start off ' in the game very rashly, 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 47 

'going in' on ' ace high,' or even drawing five 
cards ; and also of crowding his bad luck dur- 
ing the game, and especially just before the 
time for closing, in trying to ' get hunk.' 
This is all wrong, and will surely bring losses 
and defeat. Play every hand, whether first or 
last, as though it was your only hand, and with 
all the care and coolness that I have mentioned 
of a good player — or of your friend Smithy." 

" Thanks, dear uncle ! I have been delighted 
while listening to you. Of course I was aware 
of some of the points you have given me ; 
still, the most are entirely new, instructive, and 
amusing, and explain many things that until 
now have been dark to me. They also prove 
to me that there has been cheating in games in 
which I have played, and explain how some 
wonderfully large hands have been made — 
some of which I did not feel satisfied with at 
the time. Now, while your conversation is 
fresh in my mind, if you will excuse me I will 
go to my room and write out a set of rules for 



48 UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 

directing and governing the playing in our club, 
which I know all the members will be pleased 
with." 

"Well, I think no objection will be raised, 
unless by those of the class I have named ; 
who, as I have said, are found in nearly every 
club. 

" Now having given you so much advice about 
looking out for the wrongs and irregularities 
of other players, I can not have you leave with- 
out impressing something very important upon 
your mind, namely : 'Above all, watch yourself." 
It is an old saying that ' one's greatest enemy is 
one's own self.' Under no circumstances, there- 
fore, remain in the game after midnight. All 
players have a right, in accordance with the 
rules of gaming, to leave off playing at midnight ; 
and no gentleman can object to it. Whether 
you are ahead, therefore, or behind, quit when 
the clock strikes twelve. By so doing, your 
head will be clear and all right for business on 
the morrow — remembering that there is another 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 49 

evening coming, for its share of recreation and 
rational amusement. 

"Finally. — I would advise you to quit the game 
entirely. From what I have said, you must see 
clearly that it has a great many more drawbacks 
than advantages. It has cost your Uncle George 
much money and time, — more than he ought to 
have given it, — especially during his younger 
years in the West and South. Nearly every 
day's paper has reports of ruined characters, 
caused by enjoying ' a little quiet game,' or ' a 
little game of draw.' It is impossible to keep 
those who have a predisposition to cheat out of 
the games, even of the most fashionable and 
respectable class of players. Therefore, I say, it 
would be better for you to quit it entirely. 

" As I began by saying you must be sure and 
have the cards cut before the deal, so I close by 
saying you must be sure and see that the dealer 
gives no one more than his complement of cards. 
Some dealers are too much in the habit of 
giving themselves six or more cards ; this alone, 



50 



UNCLE GEORGE ON DRAW POKER. 



where all else is square, is a big per cent. ' in 
favor of the dealer.' 

"If what your Uncle George has said to you 
will be the means of saving you from becoming 
the victim of those who • cheat at cards,' or 
save you from the sufferings and torments of 
those others I have mentioned, growing out of 
an undue attachment to the game of ' Draw 
Poker,' or induce you to give it up entirely, he 
will feel satisfied and happy." 





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